Albert Pujols wasn’t present to answer questions from the media following last night’s 2-1 loss to the Rangers in Game 2 of the World Series. Neither were some other prominent veterans on the team, including Yadier Molina, Matt Holliday and Lance Berkman.

There’s plenty of blame to go around with this snubbing, but naturally the focus from the media this morning is all about Pujols’ early exit from the clubhouse.

It’s unclear how St. Louis will respond after fumbling away a grand chance to take command of this series. Pujols didn’t stick around to address the media after the game, after his botched cutoff of Jon Jay’s throw from center allowed the winning run to advance into scoring position. The lack of accountability was inexcusable from a man who is frequently described as a good teammate — and will soon want to be paid like the greatest player in the game.

In almost every case, answering questions from the media has little to do with whether a team wins or loses its next game. But this was one occasion when Pujols, as a team spokesman, should have accepted the blame for his defensive blunder and reassured those inside and outside the clubhouse that the Cardinals were going to be fine. (There is no doubt Texas leader Michael Young would have done so if the Rangers had lost.)

Part of stardom – perhaps the hardest part – is accountability. Pujols is not accountable to the media. This is not about that. Nor is it about his accountability to fans that may or may not want to know how he spit the bit in a crucial game. Pujols, more than anything, must be accountable to his teammates, those he ostensibly leads. He needs to stand up after losses so Jason Motte and Jon Jay and and Allen Craig and David Freese don’t have to.

Listen, was this a weak showing by the Cardinals’ veterans? Absolutely. It would have been nice for each of them to stick around and say a few words so that someone like Jason Motte isn’t forced to stand there for 30 minutes. In another city like Boston or New York, that just wouldn’t fly. The atmosphere in St. Louis has routinely coddled Pujols over the years, which is one reason why I’m skeptical he would ever seriously consider leaving via free agency if he receives comparable offers this winter. But this whole leadership thing is bit of a stretch. Makes for a great storyline in a series like this, but we won’t be saying a word of it if he goes 4-for-4 with two homers on Saturday night.

I don’t want to just gloss over the Cardinals’ actions, because in a perfect world they should be present, but the media needs to understand that this is something they care about more than the fans do.

Blash, 28, was acquired by the Yankees from the Padres back in December in the Chase Headley trade. In trading Blash to the Angels, the Yankees were able to free up a spot on the 40-man roster for Brandon Drury, the infielder they acquired as part of a three-team trade with the Diamondbacks and Rays on Tuesday.

Over parts of two seasons in the majors, Blash has hit an underwhelming .200/.323/.336 in 279 plate appearances. He will try to play his way into a bench role for the Angels this spring.